Theorist vies for poker title

Former(?) particle theorist Michael Binger (PhD Stanford, perturbative QCD) is among the finalists at the 37th World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Last I checked, Binger had over $3 million in chips, but is only in 8th place.

Binger says he got "burned out" on physics around 2002 and has been earning his living at poker ever since. He "hopes to continue doing research in physics without having to run the rat-race of getting a job and impressing all the right people as he puts it." Sounds like a familiar dream :-)

Binger and other poker gods might someday go the way of Kasparov -- replaced by machines.

(Via Dave Bacon.)

Update: Binger took 3rd place and won $4M. The Times covered the wrong story -- they wrote about some hedge fund guy who placed 18th and donated his $650k to charity.